cousin betty-第96章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


restaurant　where　all　Europe　has　dined；　a　splendid　silver　service　was
spread；　made　on　purpose　for　entertainments　where　vanity　pays　the　bill
in　bank…notes。　A　flood　of　light　fell　in　ripples　on　the　chased　rims；
waiters；　whom　a　provincial　might　have　taken　for　diplomatists　but　for
their　age；　stood　solemnly；　as　knowing　themselves　to　be　overpaid。

Five　guests　had　arrived；　and　were　waiting　for　nine　more。　These　were
first　and　foremost　Bixiou；　still　flourishing　in　1843；　the　salt　of
every　intellectual　dish；　always　supplied　with　fresh　wita　phenomenon
as　rare　in　Paris　as　virtue　is；　Leon　de　Lora；　the　greatest　living
painter　of　landscape　and　the　sea　who　has　this　great　advantage　over　all
his　rivals；　that　he　has　never　fallen　below　his　first　successes。　The
courtesans　could　never　dispense　with　these　two　kings　of　ready　wit。　No
supper；　no　dinner；　was　possible　without　them。

Seraphine　Sinet；　/dite/　Carabine；　as　the　mistress　/en　titre/　of　the
Amphitryon；　was　one　of　the　first　to　arrive；　and　the　brilliant　lighting
showed　off　her　shoulders；　unrivaled　in　Paris；　her　throat；　as　round　as
if　turned　in　a　lathe；　without　a　crease；　her　saucy　face；　and　dress　of
satin　brocade　in　two　shades　of　blue；　trimmed　with　Honiton　lace　enough
to　have　fed　a　whole　village　for　a　month。

Pretty　Jenny　Cadine；　not　acting　that　evening；　came　in　a　dress　of
incredible　splendor；　her　portrait　is　too　well　known　to　need　any
description。　A　party　is　always　a　Longchamps　of　evening　dress　for　these
ladies；　each　anxious　to　win　the　prize　for　her　millionaire　by　thus
announcing　to　her　rivals：

〃This　is　the　price　I　am　worth！〃

A　third　woman；　evidently　at　the　initial　stage　of　her　career；　gazed；
almost　shamefaced；　at　the　luxury　of　her　two　established　and　wealthy
companions。　Simply　dressed　in　white　cashmere　trimmed　with　blue；　her
head　had　been　dressed　with　real　flowers　by　a　coiffeur　of　the　old…
fashioned　school；　whose　awkward　hands　had　unconsciously　given　the
charm　of　ineptitude　to　her　fair　hair。　Still　unaccustomed　to　any
finery；　she　showed　the　timidityto　use　a　hackneyed　phrase
inseparable　from　a　first　appearance。　She　had　come　from　Valognes　to
find　in　Paris　some　use　for　her　distracting　youthfulness；　her　innocence
that　might　have　stirred　the　senses　of　a　dying　man；　and　her　beauty；
worthy　to　hold　its　own　with　any　that　Normandy　has　ever　supplied　to　the
theatres　of　the　capital。　The　lines　of　that　unblemished　face　were　the
ideal　of　angelic　purity。　Her　milk…white　skin　reflected　the　light　like
a　mirror。　The　delicate　pink　in　her　cheeks　might　have　been　laid　on　with
a　brush。　She　was　called　Cydalise；　and；　as　will　be　seen；　she　was　an
important　pawn　in　the　game　played　by　Ma'ame　Nourrisson　to　defeat
Madame　Marneffe。

〃Your　arm　is　not　a　match　for　your　name；　my　child；〃　said　Jenny　Cadine；
to　whom　Carabine　had　introduced　this　masterpiece　of　sixteen；　having
brought　her　with　her。

And；　in　fact；　Cydalise　displayed　to　public　admiration　a　fine　pair　of
arms；　smooth　and　satiny；　but　red　with　healthy　young　blood。

〃What　do　you　want　for　her？〃　said　Jenny　Cadine；　in　an　undertone　to
Carabine。

〃A　fortune。〃

〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　her？〃

〃WellMadame　Combabus！〃

〃And　what　are　you　to　get　for　such　a　job？〃

〃Guess。〃

〃A　service　of　plate？〃

〃I　have　three。〃

〃Diamonds？〃

〃I　am　selling　them。〃

〃A　green　monkey？〃

〃No。　A　picture　by　Raphael。〃

〃What　maggot　is　that　in　your　brain？〃

〃Josepha　makes　me　sick　with　her　pictures；〃　said　Carabine。　〃I　want　some
better　than　hers。〃

Du　Tillet　came　with　the　Brazilian；　the　hero　of　the　feast；　the　Duc
d'Herouville　followed　with　Josepha。　The　singer　wore　a　plain　velvet
gown；　but　she　had　on　a　necklace　worth　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand
francs；　pearls　hardly　distinguishable　from　her　skin　like　white
camellia　petals。　She　had　stuck　one　scarlet　camellia　in　her　black　hair
a　patchthe　effect　was　dazzling；　and　she　had　amused　herself　by
putting　eleven　rows　of　pearls　on　each　arm。　As　she　shook　hands　with
Jenny　Cadine；　the　actress　said；　〃Lend　me　your　mittens！〃

Josepha　unclasped　them　one　by　one　and　handed　them　to　her　friend　on　a
plate。

〃There's　style！〃　said　Carabine。　〃Quite　the　Duchess！　You　have　robbed
the　ocean　to　dress　the　nymph；　Monsieur　le　Duc；〃　she　added　turning　to
the　little　Duc　d'Herouville。

The　actress　took　two　of　the　bracelets；　she　clasped　the　other　twenty　on
the　singer's　beautiful　arms；　which　she　kissed。

Lousteau；　the　literary　cadger；　la　Palferine　and　Malaga；　Massol；
Vauvinet；　and　Theodore　Gaillard；　a　proprietor　of　one　of　the　most
important　political　newspapers；　completed　the　party。　The　Duc
d'Herouville；　polite　to　everybody；　as　a　fine　gentleman　knows　how　to
be；　greeted　the　Comte　de　la　Palferine　with　the　particular　nod　which；
while　it　does　not　imply　either　esteem　or　intimacy；　conveys　to　all　the
world；　〃We　are　of　the　same　race；　the　same　bloodequals！〃And　this
greeting；　the　shibboleth　of　the　aristocracy；　was　invented　to　be　the
despair　of　the　upper　citizen　class。

Carabine　placed　Combabus　on　her　left；　and　the　Duc　d'Herouville　on　her
right。　Cydalise　was　next　to　the　Brazilian；　and　beyond　her　was　Bixiou。
Malaga　sat　by　the　Duke。

Oysters　appeared　at　seven　o'clock；　at　eight　they　were　drinking　iced
punch。　Every　one　is　familiar　with　the　bill　of　fare　of　such　a　banquet。
By　nine　o'clock　they　were　talking　as　people　talk　after　forty…two
bottles　of　various　wines；　drunk　by　fourteen　persons。　Dessert　was　on
the　table；　the　odious　dessert　of　the　month　of　April。　Of　all　the　party；
the　only　one　affected　by　the　heady　atmosphere　was　Cydalise；　who　was
humming　a　tune。　None　of　the　party；　with　the　exception　of　the　poor
country　girl；　had　lost　their　reason；　the　drinkers　and　the　women　were
the　experienced　/elite/　of　the　society　that　sups。　Their　wits　were
bright；　their　eyes　glistened；　but　with　no　loss　of　intelligence；　though
the　talk　drifted　into　satire；　anecdote；　and　gossip。　Conversation；
hitherto　confined　to　the　inevitable　circle　of　racing；　horses；
hammerings　on　the　Bourse；　the　different　occupations　of　the　/lions/
themselves；　and　the　scandals　of　the　town；　showed　a　tendency　to　break
up　into　intimate　/tete…a…tete/；　the　dialogues　of　two　hearts。

And　at　this　stage；　at　a　signal　from　Carabine　to　Leon　de　Lora；　Bixiou；
la　Palferine；　and　du　Tillet；　love　came　under　discussion。

〃A　doctor　in　good　society　never　talks　of　medicine；　true　nobles　never
speak　of　their　ancestors；　men　of　genius　do　not　discuss　their　works；〃
said　Josepha；　〃why　should　we　talk　business？　If　I　got　the　opera　put　off
in　order　to　dine　here；　it　was　assuredly　not　to　work。So　let　us　change
the　subject；　dear　children。〃

〃But　we　are　speaking　of　real　love；　my　beauty；〃　said　Malaga；　〃of　the
love　that　makes　a　man　fling　all　to　the　dogsfather；　mother；　wife；
childrenand　retire　to　Clichy。〃

〃Talk　away；　then；　'don't　know　yer；'　〃　said　the　singer。

The　slang　words；　borrowed　from　the　Street　Arab；　and　spoken　by　these
women；　may　be　a　poem　on　their　lips；　helped　by　the　expression　of　the
eyes　and　face。

〃What；　do　not　I　love　you；　Josepha？〃　said　the　Duke　in　a　low　voice。

〃You；　perhaps；　may　love　me　truly；〃　said　she　in　his　ear；　and　she
smiled。　〃But　I　do　not　love　you　in　the　way　they　describe；　with　such
love　as　makes　the　world　dark　in　the　absence　of　the　man　beloved。　You
are　delightful　to　me；　usefulbut　not　indispensable；　and　if　you　were
to　throw　me　over　to…morrow；　I　could　have　three　dukes　for　one。〃

〃Is　true　love　to　be　found　in　Paris？〃　asked　Leon　de　Lora。　〃Men　have　not
even　time　to　make　a　fortune；　how　can　they　give　themselves　over　to　true
love；　which　swamps　a　man　as　water　melts　sugar？　A　man　must　be
enormously　rich　to　indulge　in　it；　for　love　annihilates　himfor
instance；　like　our　Brazilian　friend　over　there。　As　I　said　long　ago；
'Extremes　defeatthemselves。'　A　true　lover　is　like　an　eunuch；　women
have　ceased　to　exist　for　him。　He　is　mystical；　he　is　like　the　true
Christian；　an　anchorite　of　the　desert！See　our　noble　Brazilian。〃

Every　one　at　table　looked　at　Henri　Montes　de　Montejanos；　who　was　shy
at　finding　every　eye　centred　on　him。

〃He　has　been　feeding　there　for　an　hour　without　discovering；　any　more
than　an　ox　at　pasture；　that　he　is　sitting　next　toI　will　not　say；　in
such　company；　the　loveliestbut　the　freshest　woman　in　all　Paris。〃

〃Everything　is　fresh　her